The present invention relates to an integrated security system comprising a plurality of security devices and a plurality of control units connected via a communication line. More specifically, the present invention relates to improved and effective administration or control of alarm signals simultaneously or successively issued from individual security devices in such an integrated security system.
It is conventionally known that there are various buildings or facilities equipped with a plurality of monitor cameras installed at appropriate places therein. The image of each camera is displayed on a monitor television or recorded in a recording device (such as a video tape or a comparable recording medium). Such a monitoring or sensing system is generally known as a security system preferably employable for the purpose of preventing crimes or fires.
Japanese documents JP3-32239 and JP6-37729, both are published as unexamined Japanese patent application, disclose this kind of alarm monitoring systems.
Recent advancement of audio/video data communication techniques will soon make it possible to integrate a plurality of security systems which used to work independently. A plurality of control units will be incorporated in such an integrated security system. Each control unit can control other security devices as well as its own security device.
However, integrating numerous security devices will be subjected to a problem that an overall communication data amount of the system increases greatly due to various alarm signals to be generated from individual security devices each issued in case of detection of any suspicious mobile object or detection of any abnormality in respective security devices. Leaving such a congested situation of alarm signals or communication data will result in failure in transmission of control data.
In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention has an object to provide an integrated security system allowing a plurality of control units to flexibly control a plurality of security devices belonging to this integrated security system via communication lines.
Furthermore, the present invention has an object to provide an integrated or remote control security system which is capable of effectively administrating or controlling the alarm signals to be generated from individual security devices belonging to this integrated security system.
Moreover, the present invention has an object to provide an alarm processing method for the integrated security system.
To accomplish the above and other related objects, the present invention provides a first integrated security system comprising a plurality of security devices each issuing an alarm signal, a plurality of control units for controlling the security devices, and communication line means for allowing the security devices and the control units to perform data communication with each other. Each of the security devices comprises an alarm storing means for storing alarm signals received from individual security devices as alarm information, and an alarm transmitting means for transmitting the alarm information to all of the control units via the communication line means. All of the alarm information stored in the alarm storing means during a predetermined storage time are transmitted at a time as an alarm notification command to the control units.
With this arrangement, the received alarm signals are temporarily stored as the alarm information in the alarm storing means and all of the stored alarm information are transmitted at a time. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to constitute a reliable security system capable of effectively suppressing an overall communication amount even in circumferences where numerous alarm signals are simultaneously or successively issued.
According to a preferred embodiment, it is desirable that the security device has a storage timer which adjusts the storage time of the alarm information stored in the alarm storing means.
With this arrangement, it becomes possible to satisfy both realtime nature of alarm information and avoidance of alarm signal congestion. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to constitute a reliable security system capable of effectively suppressing an overall communication amount even in circumferences where numerous alarm signals are simultaneously or successively issued.
According to the preferred embodiment, it is desirable that the security device has a retransmission timer starting its counting operation in response to a transmission of the alarm notification command, and an alarm response receiving means for receiving an alarm response command returned from a designated control unit in response to the alarm notification command. The alarm transmitting means transmits the alarm notification command again when the alarm response receiving means does not receive the alarm response command within a retransmission time being set by the retransmission timer.
With this arrangement, when no alarm response command is returned in response to a transmitted alarm notification command, it is concluded that the system (i.e., the alarm transmitting means) fails in transmitting this alarm notification command to the control units. In such a case, the alarm notification command is transmitted again after passage of a predetermined time. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to accurately transmit the alarm notification command.
According to the preferred embodiment, it is desirable that each control unit receives the alarm notification command and broadcasts the alarm notification command to all of the security devices other than the specific security device which has transmitted the alarm notification command.
With this arrangement, the control device can notify an alarm notification command issued by one security device to other security devices.
Furthermore, the preset invention provides a remote control security system comprising at least one remote-controllable security device issuing an alarm signal and at least one control unit for controlling the remote-controllable security device. The remote-controllable security device and the control unit are allowed to perform data communication with each other via communication line means. The remote-controllable security device comprises alarm storing means for storing alarm signals received from the remote-controllable security device as alarm information, and alarm transmitting means for transmitting the alarm information to the control unit via the communication line means. All of the alarm information stored in the alarm transmitting means during a predetermined storage time are transmitted at a time as an alarm notification command to the control unit.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a second integrated security system comprising a plurality of security devices independently disposed in buildings or facilities to monitor or detect any suspicious mobile object or any abnormality appearing or occurring in the buildings or facilities. A plurality of control units are provided for remote-controlling the security devices via a communication line. An alarm storing means is provided for receiving alarm signals issued from individual security devices and for temporarily storing the received alarm signals as alarm information. A storage timer means is provided for designating a storage time during which the alarm storing means stores the received alarm signals. An alarm transmitting means is provided for transmitting all of the alarm information stored in the alarm storing means simultaneously as an alarm notification command to the control units via the communication line.
According to the preferred embodiment, it is desirable that an alarm response receiving means is provided for receiving an alarm response command returned from a designated control unit. The alarm response command is produced by the designated control unit as a response to the alarm notification command transmitted by the alarm transmitting means. It is checked based on the alarm response command whether the alarm transmitting means has succeeded or failed in transmitting the alarm notification command to the control units.
It is further desirable that a retransmission timer means is provided for designating a retransmission time of the alarm notification command. The alarm transmitting means transmits the alarm notification command again to the control units after passage of the designated retransmission time when the alarm transmitting means has failed in transmitting the alarm notification command.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a first alarm processing method for an integrated security system comprising at least one security device issuing an alarm signal and at least one control unit for controlling the security device via a communication line. The first alarm processing method comprising a step of receiving alarm signals from the security device, a step of storing the alarm signals temporarily as alarm information, and a step of transmitting all of the temporarily stored alarm information to the control unit at a time as an alarm notification command via the communication line.
Preferably, the step of transmitting the alarm notification command is interrupt processing performed at predetermined intervals.
The present invention provides a second alarm processing method for an integrated security system comprising at least one security device issuing an alarm signal and at least one control unit for controlling the security device via a communication line. The second alarm processing method comprising a step of receiving an alarm notification command transmitted from the security device, a step of producing an alarm response command responsive to the received alarm notification command, and a step of returning the alarm response command to the security device.
Preferably, the alarm response command includes a broadcast address so that the alarm response command can be transmitted to all of the security devices other than the specific security device which has transmitted the alarm notification command.
The present invention provides a third alarm processing method for an integrated security system comprising at least one security device issuing an alarm signal and at least one control unit for controlling the security device via a communication line. The third alarm processing method comprising a step of receiving an alarm response command returned from a designated control unit as a response to an alarm notification command having been transmitted based on an alarm signal issued by an arbitrary security device, and a step of retransmitting the alarm notification command after passage of a predetermined time when no alarm response command is received.
Preferably, a retransmit alarm list is provided to register each transmitted alarm information, and each registered alarm information is deleted when the alarm response command is received.
Preferably, the step of retransmitting the alarm notification command is interrupt processing performed at predetermined intervals.
Moreover, the present invention provides a fourth alarm processing method for an integrated security system comprising at least one security device issuing an alarm signal and at least one control unit for controlling the security device via a communication line. The fourth alarm processing method comprising a step of checking whether transmitting alarm information from an arbitrary security device to the control unit has succeeded or failed, and a step of retransmitting the alarm information from the arbitrary security device to the control in case of failure in transmitting the alarm information.